Relax the muscles in your face

I've noticed during my many attempts at relaxation that the area of most tension for me is in the face. In an attempt not to have my life etched into my face, here some exercises that I like to do to try and undo some of the tension:

- Firstly, close the eyes and notice the tension in the face and head area. Contrast this with an area of the body where there is less tension - the legs or belly. Notice the difference between tense and unwound. Imagine a tension free face.

- Scrunch your face into a grimace and let it go. Take a breath.

- Open your face in a gesture of amazement and let it go. Take another breath.

- Notice if your face is less tense.

- Quite often (for me) there's a kind of mental fog behind the forehead. This fog manifests in my face as a kind of heaviness. Notice the fog and breathe energy into it. If there's some openness in the body, breathe into the openness and then move that energy up into the head. Then let the effort go.

- Try breathing lightness and energy into the whole head for a few breaths.

- Now, try to summon some pleasant feelings into the face. Try to smile. It make seem a bit fake if you're not used to it (and don't do it company otherwise they'll think you've either (a) gone mad or (b) are being smug). If a big smile is stretch try a small smile at the corner of the lips. If this feels good, then connect your mind up with the pleasant feeling and stick with it as long as is possible. Move the pleasure all over your face.

- Then, relax every muscle in the face all at once.